Attachment for showcase units



Ap 1941- A. VANDERVELD 2,239,947

ATTACHMENT FOR SHOWCASE ,UNITS Filed Oct. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l i vend'ov \lanc lewdd April 29, 1941. A. VANDERVELD ATTACHMENT FOR SHOWCASE UNITS Filed Oct; 23; 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 194-1 ATTACHMENT FOR SHOWCASE UNITS Anthony Vanderveld, Grand Rapids,iMich., as-

signor .to Grand Rap ds Store Equipment Com.-

pany, Grand Rapidsr 'Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,715 8 Claims. 312-138) This invention relates to store furniture and more particularly to an attaching structure which may be used for equipping show case units or cases with glass doors at an open side thereof,

the invention being particularly concerned with a very practical yet simple releasable securing means for mounting the door carrying frames or other supporting members for the doors upon the sides of the display case or cabinet or the like. There has been previously filed an application having Serial No. 288,722, filed Augustl, 1939, by Paul G. Williams and Kenneth C. Welch, which has resulted in Patent No. 2,208,237, dated July 16, 1940, and which illustrates the type of furniture to which my invention is applicable. The releasable connection which I have devised may be applied to the sides of a metal frame which carries sliding doors, or it may be used for connecting the end supporting members at, the inner sides of the ends of a display case, which supporting members are used for mounting between. them drop doors which in vertical position close an opening in the case, and which may be lifted and moved inwardly into the case when the opening is to be uncovered for access to the 1 7 interior of the. case.

The present invention has for its object and purpose the provision of anovel releasable connecting means for the purposes described, which may be applied almost instantly, which may be held or locked securely in place so that the door carrying supports are firmly held against accidental or other undesired disconnection from the case or cabinet upon which installed, but which also may be readily released in' the event that the case or cabinet is to be changed, as it may be from time to time, to hold and display the different types and kinds of merchandise which are sold, particularly in department stores.

The invention may be understood from the following description, taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation illustrating a cabinet equipped with sliding doors, the carrying frame of which is connected with a cabinet, makingv use of my invention in such connection.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the structure shown in Fig. 1. l

i Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section showing the door carrying frame as it is mounted between the ends of the cabinet or display case; the doors filling an open side of the case.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical side elevation, lookingtoward an inner side of one end of the case and showing the'manner in which the door support is releasably connected to said end of the case or cabinet.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective of the releasable latching means used.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section and side elevation illustrating the invention applied to mountings which carry drop doors. i

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section substantially on the plane of line 88 of Fig. '7, and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a slight modification in structure in which the latching members are not reversely positioned with respect to each other.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

Theinvention is disclosed in connection with itsuse'in quickly and releasably connecting supporting frames for doors at an open side of a case or cabinet, though'it is to be understood that the invention is of utility in many other relations. The case or cabinet has a horizontalbase l, a top 2, spaced vertical ends 3 andmay besupplied with a back 4, leaving an opensideto. befillecl with doors which may be moved for. access to the interiorof the case. At-the inner sideof each end a plurality of vertical backing strips 5, preferably each made from a single length of sheet metal and bentinto U-form, are sunk or embedded at the inner sides of the. ends 3, one of each of said backing strips 5 at least. being located adjacent the edge. of each end 3 near the open side of the case. These .backing strips have a plurality .of tonguesfi struck inwardly and at an angle to the vertical from each side of the U-shaped strip. described, the tongues overlapping each other'in pairs, those from one side of the backing strip5 extending inwardly and, upwardly and from the other side-inwardly and downwardly, as shown in Fig. 5. Such constructionis fully illustrated in the application for patent to which reference is made above.

A frame. for sliding glass doors is of a rectangular form having vertical side members 1 substantially s-shaped in cross section, between the upper and lower. ends. of which are upper and lower cross frame members 8 which are provided with suitable guides to guide sliding doors 9 which overlap. 'each. other at their adjacentedges, so that either door may be moved past. the other and thus access to the case had from either, side of the opening whichthe doors close when they are. moved to. their closing positions, as shownin With my invention when it is applied to the;

sliding door holding frame, the inner vertical flanges of the S-shaped vertical side members 1 are provided with a plurality of latches, at least two on each vertical member, though the number if necessary may be increased. Each of these latches consists of a base i I having off-set attaching ears l2 and [3 at opposite ends which ears are continuations of the base member but oif-set" into another plane, and which lie against the inner vertical flange of the S-members I and are spot-welded thereto. The connecting or attaching ear I3 is narrower in width than the ear I2, and a finger M at the end of the base where the ear I3 is located extends from the base it in the same plane therewith and is therefore spaced a distance from the adjacent flange of the vertical side members 1 of the frame.

On the base member a latching member I is pivotally mounted at one end on a pivot pin l6, and is formed adjacent its other end and at one edge with a hook I! as best shown in Fig. 6. From the other or free end of the body l5 of the latching member an arm l8 extends, which is bent to lie at an angle to the plane of the body l5, the free end of the arm [8 normally thus coming closer to the adjacent fiangeof the frame member 1 than does its other end or the body It: with which it is integrally connected. Thus when the latching member [5 is turned counterclockwise (in Fig. 6) the arm 18 will come to and ride over the finger l4 and then enter the space adjacent the vertical edge of the finger [4, the arm I8 lying over the attaching lug or ear l3. This is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.

The rectangular open frame member which carries the sliding doors, when it is applied to the open side of the display case or cabinet or show case is inserted at such open side substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, bringing the bodies [5 of the latching members into a vertical plane which extends through and between the spaced sides of the backing strips 5. The lowermost latching member, as shown in Fig, 4, may be then turned to bring the hook I! over and into engagement with a pair of tongues 6, coming against the upper-rounded edge of the upper and inwardly extending tongue of said pair. The upper latching member is attached to the vertical side I of the door carrying frame in a reverse position and is swung downwardly in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4) whereby the hook I! comes underneath a pair of tongues 6 and engages against the lower edge of a downwardly and inwardly inclined tongue of the pair. When moved to full engaging position the arms [8 snap behind the fingers I4 so that there is no accidental or inadvertent release of .the latching hooks from the tongues 6 with which engaged.

In Fig. 9 the latching members indicated at Isa are both mounted the same, extending upwardly from their pivots it instead of one being in a reverse position to the other as in Fig. 4. The body [5a of the latching member is formed so that when the hook I! is engaged with a lower tongue 6, the upper edge of the body immediately above engages against the under edge of the next upper tongue 6, the outer edge of the hook portion being substantially in an arc of a circle, the center of which is the axis of the pivot It. With this form of latch the frame upon which the latches are mounted and which is detachably connected with the opposite backing strips 5, is held against movement in all directions, the engagement with the next upper tongues 6 preventing upward movement, while the hook connection with the lower tongue 6 prevents downward or lateral movement; and the weight of the frameand the sliding .glass doors carried thereby has a double support upon two spaced apart tongues 6 instead of the weight being supported,

as it would be in Fig. 4 only by lower tongues 6.

This is desirable particularly when the frame is carried above the base of the display case and does not rest upon the base as in Fig. 1.

In Figs. '7 and 8 there is illustrated a utilization of the same invention in detachably connecting the mountings for drop doors, one at the inner side of each end 3 of the case orcabinet. Such drop door mountings include upper and lower horizontal channel guides l9 and 20, the first of which is longer than the latter. At the front end of the guide channel 20 is a curved guide channel section 2!, at the lower end of which is a vertical guide channel 22. A plate 23 of flat metal lies at the outer side of and against the web of the guide 2?. and is spot-welded thereto and is extended forward, then turned inwardly to make a vertical section 24, and thence rearwardly in a section 25, the upper portion of which extends only to the front flange of the channel guide 22, while the lower portion extends over and covers the open side of said guide and terminates in an inturne'd flange 26. The plate 23 extends upwardly to the webs of the horizontal guides l9 and 20 and back of the same and back of the curved section 2 I, all of these parts being spot-welded to the plate 23 and making in effect an integral construction and one which is of a rigid construction.

At two spaced apart points the plate 23 is widened and extended rearwardly, providing flat lugs 2'! which at their free rear ends are turned at right angles as at 28, on each of which a latch i5 is pivotally mounted, to thereby be in a position to enter between the sides of a front backin ost 5 at the end of the case 3, and connect therewith in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 4. The rear portion of the horizontal guide [9 has a connected bracket 29 of flat metal with a similarly right angle lateral extension 38 on which a latching member I5 is pivotally mounted for engagement with the tongues 6 between the sides of the intermediate backing strip 5, as shown in Fig. '7.

In practice and preferably, the two door mountinc structures such as described, one of which is to be located at the inner side of each end of the case or cabinet, are connected at their lower ortions by a bar 3| made of fiat metal of angle form as shown, the horizontalleg of which is slotted to receive the flange 26, and with the vertical leg bearing against the front side of said flange 26 and spot-welded thereto, as shown in Fig. 8. A bar 32 of wood is located at the front of the flange 26 and connected thereto by screws and is faced on its front side with a cushion 33 of felt or similar material to provide a softening noise deadening and protecting cushion for the door to come against when it is moved to closed position.

IJhe door includes channel frame members of metal which "frame a; glass plate 35! The "ends 34 b! the frame 'carry"upper and intermediate rollers 36 and 31, the upper roller traversing the horizontal guide l9- and the lower roller traversing the horizontal guide 20,, the forward curved section 2| and the upper portion of the vertical channel guide 22. When the door is in closed position, as in Fig. 7, the lower roller 31 comes adjacent the upper end of the lower wider portion of the fiat metal section 25, previously described.

With this construction the door carrying members are readily secured in the desired positions with respect to the case or cabinet. A sliding'door frame may fill the entire open side of such case or cabinet or any desired part thereof, as shown in the previously mentioned appli- I cation of Williams and Welch. It is further to be understood that the invention is also adapted not only for the detachable connection of door carrying fixtures, but for other devices such as shelving unit frames and others shown in the pending application of Williams and Welch for connection to the vertical backing strips or to the front strips of the series of backing strips which are embedded at the inner side of each end of the display case or cabinet.

This construction is of a very practical nature, one readily manufactured and securedv in place where it is to be used, one which is instantly operated, which insures retention in place as long as desired and which may be easily operated for release if such release is to be had at any later time for the equipment of the case or cabinet with different kinds of fixtures.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. Amember designed to have a releasable latching connection to a support, and a latch secured to said member comprising a base, means for connecting the base to said member whereby said base is spaced a short distance from the member, said base atone end having a finger in the same plane therewith projecting therefrom, and a pivoted latching member connected to said base, at one edge having a latching hook and also having an arm extending therefrom and off-set laterally, whereby when the said pivoted member is moved to a predetermined position said laterally ofi-set arm is carried past said finger and normally held by said finger against return movemen 1 2. A vertical member adapted to be connected to a vertical support at two spaced apart points in the length of said member, said member having two latching devices secured thereto at spaced apart points, one in a reverse position with respect to the other, each of said latching devices comprising a base secured to said member, and a latching member pivotally mounted thereon,

hook, and engaging means on the base and latching member permitting movement of the latching member to operative latching position and normally stopping reverse movement thereof after movement of a latching member to a predetermined position.

3. In a structure of the class described. a vertically positioned member having a substantially fiat side, and a latching device mounted upon said member against said fiat side comprising, a

base, the outer surface of which is spaced from the flat surface of said member, means connecting said base to said member and upon said fiat surface thereof, said base having a projecting finger, the outer surface of which lies in the same plane with the outer surface of the base, and a latching member pivotally mounted upon said base at the outer side thereof, and having a latching means at a distance from the pivot and also having an arm projecting therefrom away from the pivot adapted to pass over said finger when the latching member is turned in one direction, said arm being laterally oiT-set toward said finger whereby when the pivoted latching member is moved to a predetermined position, the arm is carried past said finger and the latching member is normally held thereby against return movement.

4. In a structure of the class described, a vertical support having spaced apart parallel sides, a plurality of spaced apart supporting means locatedbetween the sides of the support and bridging the space therebetween, a member having a vertical portion, and a latch mounted upon said vertical portion including a pivotally mounted latching member of fiat metal having a hook 5. A construction containing the elements in.

combination defined in claim 4, combined with means fixed relative to said first member with which the latching member is adapted to coact when turned to its operative position, to thereby releasably hold the latching member against pivotal movement in a direction to disengage the book from its supporting means.

6. A member designed to have a releasable latching connection to a support, and a latch secured to said member comprising a, base portion spaced from said member, means for connecting the base to said member, a finger extending from said base in the same plane therewith, and a pivoted latching member connected to said base, at one edge having a latching hook and also having an arm extending therefrom, whereby when said pivoted member is moved to a predetermined position said arm is carried past said means for connecting said base to said member,

a pivoted latching member connected to said base, at one edge having a latching hook and also having an arm extending therefrom, and a finger extending outwardly from said base in the same plane therewith and 50- associated with each of said latching members having a latching ing means located between the sides of the sup- 1 port, a member having a vertical side, and a latch mounted on the vertical side of said member including a pivotally mounted latching member of flat metal having a hook adapted to enter between the sides of said support and engage a. supporting means thereon when turned in one direction, and a second latch mounted at said vertical side of the member at a distance from 5 the first latching member, likewise having a pivoted latching member turnable to enter between the sides of the support and engage a second supporting means, said two latchesybeing positioned one abovethe other, and. one being mounted upon the vertical side of said member in a reverseposition fromithe other. v

mime- VANDERVELDl 

